The players will don custom "ice cleats" and hockey helmets, according to a press release from the Globetrotters. The game is seen as a replacement, of sorts, for the NHL's cancelled Winter Classic, which was to be played on New Year's Day at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

“We hope the NHL can return to the ice as quickly as possible,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. “But in the meantime, we thought the Globetrotters could help fill the void of professional sporting events on an ice surface. And it’s only fitting we play this outdoor game in Michigan, as our tour continues in Kalamazoo the next day.”

The Globetrotters are inviting local schools to attend the game. The general public is invited to attend at no charge pending availability of seats and standing room at Millennium Park, the press release said.

The game is part of the "You Write the Rules" tour, which also takes the Globetrotters to East Lansing's Breslin Center on Jan. 26, Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena on Jan. 27 and Flint's Perani Arena on Jan. 28.